Pilot Project on Rapid Environmental and Health Risk Assessment in the lower Danube River Basin

Objectives:

Setting and Testing of a methodology for rapid environmental and health risk assessment.
The methodology provides also for a public participation process which will be implemented by REC and suggests schemes of training for assessment and management of risk in environmental and health matters.

Sectorial Topic (Note):

Sustainable land use management, including water, soil and vegetation in affected areas

Actor(s)[Nation(Ministry, Agency)/Organization]:

Ministry for the Environment and Territory (Italy), European Environmental and Health Committee, Euro Regional Division, National Institute for the Environment and Health (Hungaria), Ministry for the Water, Forestry and Environmental protection (Romania), Ministry for the Environment and Water (Bulgaria), the Regional Environmental Centre- REC- WWF International.

The project has been entirely financed by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and Territory with a total funding of 450.000,00 euro.
The Pilot Project has been concentrating on:
1. Dangerous Industrial Activities
2. Abandoned contaminated sites
3. Dangerous goods transportation

Target year:

2003

Target Area/Place:

Lower Danube River Basin

Expected Outcome(S):

A methodology of risk assessment was set up by Italian Ministry for the Environment and it was already tested on four industrial sites on the territory of Bulgaria.

Relevance to the Plan of Implementation of WSSD:

The Development Goal, endorsed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg set a new target of halving the proportion of people who do not have access to basic sanitation by 2015. It also recognized the key role of water in agriculture, energy, health, biodiversity and ecosystems as well as in combating poverty.